Sheriff Toulon recently announced a partnership with United Way of Long Island to assist formerly incarcerated individuals with job training and certificates in growing energy fields. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office’s Sheriff’s Transition and Reentry Team (S.T.A.R.T.) Resource Center is working with United Way of Long Island to refer qualifying candidates to their workforce development program, PowerUp! Wind, Solar & Renewables, which provides free, highly skilled training focused on creating a foundation and pathways to secure careers in the renewable energy industry for Long Islanders.
“This partnership with United Way and access to their workforce development training academy can help individuals reentering our communities secure careers that can change the outcomes of their futures. Thank you to United Way for continuing to assist the START Resource Center in breaking the barriers typically associated with reentry and to help us put these individuals on a path to success,” said Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.
“The next great economic opportunity is renewable energy and United Way’s Workforce Development Training Academy is a leader in connecting underserved communities with high skilled training,” said Theresa A. Regnante, President and CEO, United Way of Long Island. “The collaboration with Sherriff Toulon and the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Office sends a powerful message that we are stronger when all sectors come together to improve people’s lives in a way that creates a more inclusive and equitable economy.”
Earlier this year, two individuals who were formerly incarcerated at the Suffolk County facility were referred to the United Way’s PowerUp! Wind, Solar & Renewables Program after they contacted the START Resource Center for assistance with employment. The two individuals passed the program, and one successfully obtained a job in the industry.
United Way’s workforce development training academy provides free highly skilled training focused on creating a foundation and pathways to secure careers in the renewable energy industry for Long Islanders. The academy consists of United Way’s signature VetsBuild, PowerUp! Wind, Solar & Renewables, and Youth Build programs for those unemployed and looking for work, veterans, young adults, and others entering the job market. It operates out of United Way’s state-of-the-art E3 SmartBuild Training Center in Deer Park, complete with a portable prototype wind turbine. Graduates of the academy are proficient in the installation of clean heating and cooling technologies, high-efficiency HVAC, heat pumps, solar panels, EV Charging, and the benefits of renewable energy. The training curriculum utilizes hands-on classroom learning, on-the-job experience, and soft skills to help lead to employment.
The START Resource Center was formed by Sheriff Toulon in 2020 and has since become a nationwide model for reentry services. With 85% of individuals leaving the Suffolk Correctional Facilities remaining in Suffolk County, Sheriff Toulon is committed to making sure they have the tools and resources they need to live productive lives upon reentering our communities. Individuals participating in the program work directly with the START Resource Center to assess their needs while incarcerated and post incarceration, and any necessary referrals are made– such as substance abuse treatment, education, job assistance, DSS assistance, identification issues, transportation, food, housing, and clothing. They receive a comprehensive reentry plan that will assist them with success upon release. Since launching, the program has seen tremendous results with the recidivism rate of those participating landing at nearly half of the NYS average.
For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Vicki DiStefano at [email protected].
